Air Care History

UNC Carolina Air Care began operations in July 1986 with
one Helicopter 24 / 7 and 2 teams; Adult and Pediatric / Neonatal.
We are one of the original 6 hospital based Air Medical
Transport services to be established in the State of North
Carolina.

Lovingly referred to as CAC by many, UNC Carolina Air Care has
grown to it's present configuration of two aircraft 24 / 7 and
an Adult team operating by ground in addition to our
Pediatric / Neonatal team, operational 24 / 7.

Service began from a small office space in the basement of N.C.
Memorial Hospital unit with the aircraft parked on the Helipad
directly in front of the main hospital. In May 1996, UNC
Hospitals opened The N.C. Neurosciences
Hospital with a new and expanded Emergency Department in the
basement and state-of-the art facilities for the Air Medical unit on
the roof some ten stories up; complete with two helipads and on
site fueling facilities.

In 1998 CAC ventured into expanding Critical Care Transport ground
services by opening a satellite ground base in Henderson, NC and Erwin,
NC. In 2002 UNC joined with its sister hospital Rex Healthcare in
Raleigh, to add a third CCT unit weekdays and a second helicopter to
its operations 12 hours a day 7 days a week operating from Chapel
Hill.

In reviewing the ever changing needs of our patients and service
area UNC Carolina Air Care restructured its service
line. UNC decreased its ground operations for the adult team
and increased the hours of operation for the second aircraft to 24 / 7.
Additionally UNC looked for a strategic location to place the
second aircraft. Having two helicopters at the Trauma
Center was less effective than having one aircraft at a remote
location. This would bring Air Medical services closer to the
community who could best utilize the aircraft in transporting
trauma patients from a scene to the closest Trauma Center.

In January 2006 Tarheel 2 relocated to Cape Fear Vally Medical
Center in Fayetteville and adjacent to Ft. Bragg. UNC Carolina Air Care
provides Air Medical scene call services on the military
training range. This is UNC's support to the armed services
whose operation of military medevac resources are better utilized
elsewhere.

In July 2006 UNC Carolina Air Care celebrated 20 years of Air
Medical Transport service to the residents of North Carolina. We look
forward to providing many more.